1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus which is capable of printing according to a plurality of image forming types.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus is an electronic device which forms a desired image on a printing medium. The image forming apparatus may be classified according to image forming types including: an inkjet image forming apparatus which discharges an ink droplet to form an image; an electrophotographic image forming apparatus which forms an image using toner through charging, exposing, developing, transferring, and cleaning operations; and a thermoelectronic image forming apparatus which uses an ink ribbon.
Generally, the image forming apparatus forms an image using only one of the foregoing image forming types. If a user desires to print with an inkjet type in one instance and with an electrophotographic type in another instance, the user should have both an inkjet printer and a laser printer to respectively provide the desired image forming types.
To solve the above a problem, image forming apparatuses which employ both an electrophotographic type and an inkjet type as discussed below.
Japanese Patent First Publication No. H09-311513 discloses an image forming apparatus which includes an inkjet image forming unit and an electrophotographic image forming unit on a single printing medium transfer path. However, the above image forming apparatus has a problem such that a printing medium printed by one of the image forming types may be adversely affected by elements of the other image forming type. For example, if the printing medium printed by the inkjet unit passes through the elements of an image receptor and a fusing unit disposed within the electrophotographic unit, the foregoing elements may be contaminated by wet ink on the printing medium. Alternatively, if the printing medium passes through the fusing unit of the electrophotographic unit, thereby causing the printing medium to have a higher temperature, and then passes through a head chip of an inkjet unit, the head chip will be thermally deformed and printing quality may be degraded.
To solve the foregoing problem, Japanese Patent First Publication No. H08-310047 discloses an image forming apparatus which includes an electrophotographic unit and an inkjet unit on different printing medium moving paths. In this case, however, a plurality of rollers are disposed on the printing medium moving paths to move the printing medium, thereby causing a complicated printing medium moving configuration and raising production costs.